Paleontologist Discusses Chances Of Megalodon Being Alive With ‘Inside Edition’
Highly anticipated thriller The Meg hit theaters this weekend and “made a splash” as Inquisitr previously reported raking in $16 million on opening day. While the movie seems to be getting pretty mixed reviews, including Inquisitr’s own reporter Josh Lami who felt the movie was “fun” but didn’t live up to the hype, the movie provoked many to wonder whether the megalodon could still exist.
For those who are unfamiliar with the movie, the plot of The Meg centers around the idea that the megalodon still exists. The megalodon is a prehistoric shark believed to be the largest shark in history. According to Discovery, experts are not sure how large the creatures were. However, most agreed they could grow to be as large as 52 feet, which was three times the length of the longest great white.
Inside Edition caught up with paleontologist Steve Jasinsky to get an expert’s thoughts on the chances of this prehistoric beast still swimming in the deep waters of the ocean.
Speaking to Inside Edition, Jasinsky compared the chances of the megalodon existing to that of a dinosaur. “There is as much of a chance of megalodon being alive today, for the most part, that you would see a dinosaur still alive,” he explained.
The Meg: the real Megalodon shark would eat Jason Statham for breakfast https://t.co/ou3pOJaG40 #yum pic.twitter.com/vmRENdywcg
— New Scientist (@newscientist) August 10, 2018
Despite Steve’s claims that it is unlikely for the megalodon to still exist, the internet is littered with hype of the possibility. This includes viral YouTube videos claiming a megalodon sighting. One video on YouTube, with over 21 million views, claims an underwater camera caught a glimpse of a creature a little over 60 feet long swimming past it.
According to a separate video published by the Discovery YouTube channel, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that the megalodon is not extinct. This evidence included bites on whale carcasses so large the creature that attacked would have had to be the size of a megalodon.
Also speaking to Inside Edition, Paul De Gelder – an adventurer who lost both an arm and a leg during a shark attack – hopes the prehistoric creature does still exist somewhere on the ocean floor.
“I’d like to think that maybe there is one,” he explained. “I’d love it if there was one, but I just don’t think so.”
Here’s a great post by @DrCraigMc outlining how we know that megalodon is extinct. In short- a 50 foot long whale eating shark that lives in shallow coastal waters would leave tons of evidence that it’s around, and there isn’t any. Please RT! https://t.co/Nn1dLRPA8t
— Dr. David Shiffman (@WhySharksMatter) August 9, 2018
According to Live Science, despite the vast size of the ocean, experts are fairly certain the prehistoric shark is extinct. Scientists have been able to use the fossilized teeth of this creature to learn so much about them. Moreover, sharks shed teeth throughout their entire lifespan. The fact that the ocean floor isn’t littered with megalodon teeth is a pretty solid piece of evidence pointing toward their extinction.
Think you know megalodon? The Museum's Emma Bernard @NHM_FossilFish sifts fact from fiction to reveal what it actually looked like, and whether it's still lurking in the deep. #TheMeg #MegFacts https://t.co/hwniKpXNiT
— Natural History Museum (@NHM_London) August 10, 2018
Experts also point out the fact that a creature the size of a school bus would need a lot of food to survive. It is unlikely this creature would hide in the dark depths of the ocean floor when it would be easier to come to the surface for food. Lastly, experts note the current existence of this creature – especially more than one – would put a huge dent in the marine ecosystem.
